Channel plate structure and electrochemical apparatus with the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019207234-A1
Application number	US-201816215568-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2017
Publication date	Jul 4, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A channel plate structure includes a nonreactive portion and an electrochemical reactive portion. The nonreactive portion includes at least one manifold inlet, at least one manifold outlet, flow channels, and cutoff structures. The cutoff structures are respectively disposed in the flow channels, and the ratio of the total area of the cutoff structures to the area of the channel plate structure is 0.002 to 0.01 based on battery size. Each of the cutoff structures includes a gas-liquid separation compartment, a joint portion, and a convergent portion, wherein a width of the joint portion is smaller than or equal to that of the gas-liquid separation compartment, the convergent portion connects the gas-liquid separation compartment to the joint portion, and the cross-sectional area of a flow path at an downstream end of the convergent portion is smaller than that of the flow path at an upstream end of the same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A channel plate structure, comprising:
a nonreactive portion, comprising at least one manifold inlet, at least one manifold outlet and a plurality of flow channels; and an electrochemical reactive portion, disposed in a center of the channel plate structure, wherein the electrochemical reactive portion is in communication with the at least one manifold inlet through one of the plurality of flow channels, and in communication with the at least one manifold outlet through another one of the plurality of flow channels, wherein the nonreactive portion further comprises a plurality of cutoff structures respectively disposed in the plurality of flow channels, wherein a ratio of a total area of the plurality of cutoff structures to an area of the channel plate structure is 0.002 to 0.01, and wherein each of the cutoff structures comprises:
a gas-liquid separation compartment;
a joint portion, having a width less than or equal to a width of the gas-liquid separation compartment; and
a convergent portion, connecting the gas-liquid separation compartment to the joint portion, wherein a cross-sectional area of a flow path at a downstream end of the convergent portion is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the flow path at an upstream end of the same.

2 . The channel plate structure of claim 1 , wherein the width of the joint portion is equal to or greater than a width of the flow channels.

3 . The channel plate structure of claim 1 , wherein a number of the cutoff structures is the same as a total number of the manifold inlet and the manifold outlet.

4 . The channel plate structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one manifold outlet comprises a catholyte outlet and an anolyte outlet.

5 . The channel plate structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one manifold inlet comprises a catholyte inlet and an anolyte inlet.

6 . The channel plate structure of claim 1 , wherein the convergent portion is a first shrinking structure that is reduced from the upstream end to the downstream end.

7 . The channel plate structure of claim 1 , wherein the convergent portion comprises at least one baffle close to the joint portion.

8 . The channel plate structure of claim 1 , wherein the convergent portion comprises at least one baffle close to the gas-liquid separation compartment.

9 . The channel plate structure of claim 1 , wherein a minimum width of the path of the convergent portion is 0.1 times to 0.4 times the width of the joint portion.

10 . The channel plate structure of claim 6 , further comprising a second shrinking structure disposed between the joint portion and the flow channel, wherein the second shrinking structure is reduced from the upstream end to the downstream end.

11 . An electrochemical apparatus, comprising the channel plate structure of claim 1 .

12 . The electrochemical apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the electrochemical apparatus comprises a liquid flow battery, an alkali halide industrial electrolytic cell or an electroplating industrial plating tank.

Assignees

• Ind Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Hsueh Kan-Lin
• Wu Ching-Chen

Classifications

• H01M8/04186

  of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants · CPC title

• C25B1/34

  Simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine, e.g. by chlor-alkali electrolysis · CPC title

• H01M8/0265

  the reactant or coolant channels having varying cross sections · CPC title

• H01M8/0258

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/18 Primary

  Regenerative fuel cells, e.g. redox flow batteries or secondary fuel cells · CPC title